About Me

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Buddy Guy inspired some of music’s greats

Will perform at Cache Creek April 24

BROOKS, Calif. – Any discussion of blues and rock guitarist Buddy Guy invariably involves a recitation of his colossal musical resume and hard-earned accolades. He's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a chief guitar influence to rock titans like Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, and Vaughan and a pioneer of Chicago's fabled West Side sound -- and a living link to that city's halcyon days of electric blues.

Buddy has received five Grammy Awards, 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard Magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts. Guy’s credentials and following are well established, and his musical relevance continues to this day. Fans can see him perform at Cache Creek on Saturday, April 24 at 8 p.m.Just this past year, Buddy appeared on the big screen nationwide with a show-stopping performance in Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert film, “Shine a Light” and at the age of 72, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time as part of the magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs" package.

During his long and successful career, Guy, the purveyor of a stinging, attacking electric guitar style and wild, impassioned vocals, has captured the minds of a growing number of rock musicians. "He was for me what Elvis was probably like for other people," Eric Clapton recalled Guy's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2005. "My course was set, and he was my pilot."

There were no fewer than 20 releases under Guy's name during the 1970s and '80s and his 1991 comeback smash “Damn Right, I've Got the Blues” 1993's Feels Like Rain, and 1994's Slipping' In” all earned Grammy Awards. His last album, “Bring 'Me In,” found Guy trading licks with the likes of Carlos Santana and John Mayer (a huge Buddy Guy fan, who has done much to spotlight the older artist in recent years) on a set of songs featuring covers of classic soul songs.

"I just try to get the best players and hope I can pop the top off this can and show that the blues are back," he says. "I learn from them, bring them in and see what they can do. And these guys got me feeling like when I was 22 years old and went into the studio with Muddy Waters."

Buddy Guy says he's excited about the new ground he’s broken and about continuing to find new challenges to set for himself. "If you get too old to learn, you might as well go out of this world backwards," he says. "It's like being a prizefighter. If you lay down, you never have a chance to win. But if you keep punching, you might hit 'em with the one that lies 'em down.

Tickets are available now through Tickets.com on the web: www.Tickets.com or by phone: (800) 225-2277 or at: www.CacheCreek.com or Cache Creek Casino Resort at the guest services desk for $65, $55, and $45.